Walks/Footpaths

Walks and Footpaths

Permissive Footpath to avoid walking along the A272 east of the village.

Village Walks

Wisborough Green has some lovely walks, in particular, a circular route to the east and south of the village, which takes in the canal and the river as well as some beautiful countryside. Unfortunately, this involves walking along the busy A272 for around 330m which is extremely dangerous. To help reduce the danger and improve access to this part of our footpath network we are delighted that a new permissive path has been created through negotiation with the landowner. It is on the north side of the A272 between the footpath from the village where it meets the road and the lay-by on the eastbound carriageway. The path is clearly marked along the edge of the field, over a stile, down some steps and through the wood to the lay-by and saves over 200m of road walking. The road should be crossed to the west–bound lay-by with care. Walkers can then continue along the verge on the south side of the carriageway to the footpath that heads towards Guildenhurst Bridge.

Walks and Routes

It is our intention to provide more information about local walks in the future. In the meantime, information can be found from the following sources.

West Weald Landscape Project – for a free guide to walks in our area click here.

West Sussex County Council provide a very good interactive map on their website that allows you to see all the routes within the parish.

Conservation walks have been provided under the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs farm conservation schemes, which help farmers protect and improve the countryside, its wildlife and history. This is permissive access and there is one such scheme in Wisborough Green at Lowfold Waterside. This open access gives a good opportunity to see the Wey and Arun Canal and Arun River, which was operational between 1816 and 1871 and is gradually being restored. More information can be found here. For more information about the Canal visit the Wey & Arun CanalTrust website.

There are a number of interesting walks in the County, including some easier walks suitable for wheelchair and pushchair users, families and less mobile people. Click here for more information.

West Sussex Local Access Forum (WSLAF)

WSLAF is an independent official body, set up under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The Forum covers the whole of the county with the exception of the South Downs National Park which has its own Local Access Forum.

What does the Forum do?

Advises on improving public access to land for informal public recreation including for walkers, horse riders, cyclists, carriage drivers, disabled people and others.

Encourages the enjoyment and understanding of the countryside.

Considers the needs and concerns of land managers, tenants and owners.

Enhancement and conservation of the natural environment.

Works with the County Council to develop, protect and improve the rights of way network.

Footpath Maintenance

All footpaths in the parish are inspected on a 15-month cycle by an Access Ranger from West Sussex County Council and any maintenance issues are dealt with by a maintenance team who visit a month or so later. So, all footpaths and bridleways should be in pretty good condition, but if you do encounter problems while out walking, please let the Parish Clerk know or report directlyto WSCC.

Our four legged friends!

We know that lots of people who use the rights of way network do so to walk the dog and it’s clearly an excellent way of ensuring a bit of regular exercise. Residents of Wisborough Green certainly have some lovely walks to choose from! There are many positive benefits of dog ownership and recent research suggests that they contribute towards a healthier, more inclusive society.

However, landowners in the village have expressed concern about the behaviour of dogs on their land and some have sought advice on fencing in footpaths to prevent dogs from running around their fields and potentially worrying their livestock or chasing pheasants. As far as the law is concerned, the entitlement to take a dog on a right of way is confined to the line of the path so if it’s allowed to run around a field and off the path, trespass is committed against the holder of the land. There is no requirement for dogs to be kept on a lead but they are required to be kept under close control at all times. They should not be allowed to attack or chase livestock and a farmer may shoot a dog that is doing so.

Dog fouling can also be a problem and farmers report that animals have been turned away at slaughter due to worms allegedly being picked up from dog faeces. This clearly has an impact on their business. Please do not leave dog mess behind – it’s horrible to tread in and can be dangerous to livestock and humans. Remember to worm your dog regularly and try and encourage it to ‘go’ at home. Otherwise please pick up and dispose of appropriately; please do not hang bags in trees! Incidentally, Chichester District Council has a Dog Control Order that requires anyone in charge of a dog to clean up immediately after the dog fouls on any land which is open to the air and to which the public are entitled or permitted to have access – this includes rights of way.

Walkers and Cattle

There have been press reports about incidents involving cattle. These are few and far between but the advice from the Ramblers’ Association and the NFU is that dogs should be kept on leads around cattle but that they should be let go if they are being chased or feel threatened by cattle.